Living A Spartan Lifestyle

I have moved around a lot in the last decade or so. A lot of it was within Michigan, however in the last four years I have been to Ohio, Minnesota and now Oregon. Moving is not a particularly fun endeavor by any means. Its time consuming and can be a bit stressful. However, there can be a silver-lining if you approach it with the right frame of mind.

When I moved within Minnesota I had a fairly bad experience. The truck ended up costing more than I was quoted, I had to spend a night at a hotel, and the movers were over four hours late at my new place, which resulted in me unloading everything but the furniture that was too awkward to lift myself. Not very smooth at all, but the worst part was yet to come. 

Once everything was in my new place I took a look at all my worldly possessions and said to myself "Wow, I just paid to move a bunch of crap." Albeit everything was useful, but was it really worth all the trouble and money I just expended? My bed was well beyond its prime, the dresser and nightstand were Ikea specials and the desk was bought second hand from a coworker. Not to mention my desk chair had definitely seen better days. While everything had a use, none of it was irreplaceable. 

Needless to say, the next time I moved (into my current place) I took a much different approach. Everything was expendable for my move to Portland. I made the decision I was only taking what could fit in my Forester. Furniture, kitchen appliances and even clothes didn't make the cut. The clothes part was fairly easy as I was losing weight, and most were too loose. The real impact was felt about three months after I got to Portland, because that's when I realized I did not miss any of the possessions I left behind or sold.

I've tried to stick to that philosophy moving forward, but due to my cheapness and continuing to lose weight (I promise I am not bragging) its been a bit difficult. New clothes that fit better are purchased, and old clothes are kept because they are still in good shape. However, I now go through my closet once every three months, and will even donate clothes that fit if I just don't wear them much. An added benefit, which I did not consider was, while I have less possessions, they are usually of a higher quality than before.

The best bonus is my place is a lot less cluttered and I have more room for activities. Seriously though, its so nice not having a place cluttered with useless or unused possessions and clothes. Its made me realize how I can save for the things I want in life, without sacrificing the present. I am able to enjoy the outdoors, traveling and even pay off my vehicle and student loan debt quicker, without sacrificing quality of life. Whether it is on a small scale, or a complete lifestyle change, I highly recommend living a more Spartan lifestyle. 

    

The Great Outdoors

(Not really the topic, but couldn't resist)

After a two-year hiatus I started playing golf again. The good, and bad, news is I am not far off of where I used to be talent wise. However, its cool because I am definitely not one of those guys you see who dress like Rory McIlroy or Tiger Woods. I have been golfing since I was about 13 and have never paid for one set of clubs. I started using my grandfather's set and then my uncle's. Once a friend of mine got a new set he was gracious enough to pass along his old set to me, and the same happened a few weeks ago. Eighteen years of cheapness and counting!

I also think golf gets a bad rap some of the time. Granted it can require a good amount of money to get going, unless you want to be a cheapskate like myself. However, I grew up in Michigan, which has a lot of public golf courses, both nice and more "cost effective." Even out here in Oregon, I paid $10 for a 9-hole course on Sunday. It can be a nice hobby if you do it correctly.

However, this post is not strictly about golf, more so the outdoors in general. I realized when I was out playing this past Sunday how much I enjoy golf, but a majority of that joy comes from the simple act of being outside. Even when the conditions aren't the best, a bad day outside beats a good day inside almost every time. 

I think it's what draws me towards the hobbies and past times I choose: hiking, camping, golf, snowboarding, and even hockey. Its been awhile since I played hockey, but I always loved playing pond hockey or on an outdoor rink. Even if I just take a book outside, the fresh air and natural light helps a lot more than sitting inside, straining my eyes with artificial light. 

I think its something lost these days. I know I sound like an old man, but it seems like all anyone wants to talk about is TV shows these days. "Oh man have you seen Narcos?! Its sooooo good, I watched all 10 episodes in 2 days!" I have done things like this in the past, but I always felt like I had wasted a tremendous amount of time. 

When I got to Portland, Xfinity/Comcast wanted me to pay an absurd amount to have a technician come out to my apartment to "fix" something which I had nothing to do with. I immediately canceled my account, thinking I would find an alternative later. Although on occasion I miss it, I have not once missed it enough to call up Comcast. I will have plenty of time to watch TV shows when I am too old to do any of those activities I mentioned before. 

Oh Manuel

Tottenham is a good squad, even outside of Harry Kane. They are a solid, well built squad. But so is City, so much so that they sell off former high priced purchases for a fraction of what they paid and bring in new ones. They try to sell us on it being an "upgrade of talent," but thats not always the case (see "Bony, Wilfried"). However, this is not about the men on the pitch, rather their maestro on the sidelines.

I am not going to bash Pellegrini. I will leave that to people who make money doing this, and like to say outlandish things to get attention. I will say he has been an effective coach, who won an EPL title with largely Roberto Mancini's team, and has fallen short of expectations since. What happened today (4-1 drubbing away to Spurs) did not start today, it started last week when City lost to Juventus in their first match in Champions League group play, at home. A match where they led in the late stages and not only gave up the lead, but the win.

Now Juventus is not a bad side, but this was not the team which made the Champions League Final this past summer. No Arturo Vidal, no Andrea Pirlo and no Carlos Tevez, all three of whom were key pieces in last years side. This is about Manuel Pellegrini and what I have named "The Annual Pellegrini Skid." Every year since he has been Manager, City have lost a match, usually one they led late, then gone on a terrible run of games. Last year they blew a lead to once again Championship side Burnley and lost, then drew them. They were demolished by a very weak Manchester United side in the second meeting of the season, and barely righted the ship.

This is not Pellegrini bashing, this is a fact. The frustrating part is not so much the skid, but what its cost City and my fellow fans. Last season they finished second behind Chelsea. If they had beaten Burnley twice, like you'd expect a club like City to do, thats five more points, let alone all the other disappointing stretches in last season's slide where extra points could have been picked up. It cost City another title, or at least a run at one.

I am not sure where the disconnect lies. From what it appears on the outside looking in is that Pellegrini has zero ability to raise confidence after a bad or humiliating loss, which compounds to allow more and more losses to inferior sides. Eventually the talent of the players on the pitch turn things around and they are off and cruising again. However, for an ownership that wants trophies, European as well as domestic ones, this does not bode well for Manuel. The only thing saving him at the moment is the other big name clubs are also underperforming. I have a feeling if he fails to get past the first round of Champions League and/or falls short in England yet again, his days on the Blue side of Manchester are over.

EPL Club Misspells The Great One's Name

(Exhibit A)

I understand hockey is not big in the UK. There is a growing presence, which is awesome, but I have a feeling its much like the MLS is here. Its big in some places and others people could not care less. I get it. I am not one of those people from Hockey Twitter that thinks unless you know every player on every team you're not a "real" fan (which I will get to that infuriating trend in a future post). But we live in this great age of technology where the knowledge of the world is accessible through a computer you keep in your pocket and you still can't spell someone's name correctly?!

Wayne Gretzky or not, how is this possible? I bet the conversation went like this:

Limey #1: "Oy James, how do you spell this Canadian bloke's name?"

Limey #2: "I dunno Oliver, look it up!"

Limey #1: "Nah, I'll just guess. Lets get a steak and kidney pie and a pint then!"

It takes less than five seconds to Google something! If my boss told me there was a hotshot Field Hockey player coming in from the UK and we were making a custom shirt with their name on it, I would Google their name and "Field Hockey UK" to make sure I spelled it correctly. It would take all of one minute, conversation included. So way to go Spurs, you can't even use Google.

Blazers Might Sign Anthony Bennett

(Anthony Bennett)

A lot of people here in Portland are not thrilled with the upcoming NBA season. I can't say I blame them either. Hope and expectations were running high the last few years, and the results were very disappointing. Then in one summer, four out of five starters are gone, and now there's talk of Anthony Bennett joining a group of guys most fans haven't heard of or could care less about.

Now Bennett is a former No. 1 overall pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and obviously it didn't work out for him in the Mistake on the Lake. He was involved in the three team deal that sent fellow Canadian to Minnesota, and now will be placed on waivers after the Timberwolves bought out his current deal. I for one would welcome it for a couple reasons. 

First of all the chances of the Blazers being good this year are slim. So slim in fact they are practically nil, unless Mason Plumlee becomes the second coming of Hakeem Olajuwon, but I doubt it. Therefore, stocking your team with guys looking to prove themselves on short term deals is smart. Sign Anthony Bennett to a one-year deal, and make sure he knows this is his chance for a big contract, then let the Magic overpay him next July. 

Second, the NBA salary cap is due for a huge increase once that new TV deal kicks in. If you have a bunch of guys on short term deals, you are poised to roll into doubled cap space with no long-term, crippling contracts on the books. Oh and you also have a premier PG, and most likely a good, young supporting cast from two years of high draft picks.

The third reason is none of the guys who left via Free Agency were worth what they got paid. I'm not saying Wesley Mathews, Robin Lopez and Lamarcus Aldridge are crap, but they aren't worth keeping around at the paychecks they are getting now. It would have been great to keep all three, but how many times has a role player (Aldridge excluded) received a huge payday and either did not increase production or even regressed (see Gerald Wallace)? 

Sure the next couple years won't be like the last few, but its been since 1977 since they won a championship, and 1990 since they were even in the Finals. Having multiple bloated contracts of role players is not how a team wins a championship, so rebuild away! Plus they probably won't win another one until 2077 anyway, so who cares?

Trailer Park Boys Do It Again! (Assume Every Link is NSFW)

(Julian, Bubbles and Ricky)

If you are unaware of who the Trailer Park Boys you can see a few amazing moments right here. I am a huge hockey fan, but in my opinion they are by far Canada's best export. Just three good Canadian boys looking to strike it rich in the trailer park. Its some of the funniest stuff I have seen in my life. They tried to get re-arrested because they were paroled before the big convicts vs guards roller hockey game, intentionally of course, so the guards had a better chance of winning.  

And now they have another title to add to their growing number of accolades: the most F-Bombs in a movie. Apparently their latest offering, Swearnet, takes the title, which if you've ever seen even just one episode its not shocking. Ricky alone could probably take the crown, and gets almost poetic with the use. Bubbles and Julian usually have some great uses of it as well. Its not just the three main characters either, pretty much all of the supporting cast is amazing too. Just more proof how awesome they are. 

The Soviets Had Some Crazy Ideas

(Abkhazia)

The Soviets did a lot of messed up stuff, but they also did some really cool stuff as well. Fast Company highlights some of the best bus stops...yes bus stops. However, you can see above these are nuts. The Soviets were not much into expression outside of the prescribed state sponsored variety, but this looks like straight up LSD inspired stuff. 

The crazier thing is where they put these. If you live in Abkhazia, which is the northwestern part of Georgia, in the 1970s chances are you've seen a lot of crazy stuff. You've probably lived through purges, Germans and Romanians invading in the 1940s, and a bunch of shortages and other hardships, then all of a sudden this insane seashell looking thing gets installed where you wait for the bus. I would have seriously thought it was a capitalist invasion.

Cascadia's Push Toward Playoffs

(Cascadia Cup)

To those of you not located in the PNW probably view MLS as a marginal league, at best. I'm not saying there aren't fans of MLS anywhere else. I know there are other teams around the league that see amazing support and have no trouble selling tickets. I also know a lot of the sports media take great pleasure in marginalizing soccer as a sport and barely acknowledging if at all. However, in the PNW an MLS is huge.

The Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps have no issue with selling tickets or getting attention. Matches between any of three sell out immediately, and if you want to buy a ticket second hand, get ready to pay for it. It also creates an amazing atmosphere.

The season started with all three teams at the top of the Western Conference standings, but its been a long season. The Timbers have fallen off the pace as of right now, currently clinging to the final playoff spot, which is an all too familiar position the last few years. Should be a wild finish to the season yet again, especially if all three teams make it.

Meet the Father of the Century

(Travis Nielsen)

Travis Nielsen and family were just chilling in their backyard on Vancouver Island when a freaking cougar decided his two-year-old looked delicious and decided to take a bite. This guy sees his daughter in the jaws of a cougar and what does he do? He goes after it with his fists. He doesn't look for a shovel or any type of weapon, just hauls off and punches the thing. Ok, a father sees their child in distress and acts right away, that makes sense, but the chilling part is the cougar stuck around. It even tried to get around him to get his daughter again. He just stood his ground and shouted it down until it ran and hid. 

Now I know the cougar was acting on its instinct, its a wild animal. But as Joe Rogan likes to say "I'm on team people." Especially when team people doesn't even have to use a weapon. Travis Nielsen also acted on instinct and is a certified bad ass. 

Lets Hit Vegas, in 2022

I get wanting to hammer out a schedule far in advance. You want to secure a scarce resource or a reservation at a popular restaurant, or resort even. I feel like College Football is going a little overboard with that. I recently saw how Oregon has signed on to play BYU...in 2022. That is seven years from now, seven! Ok, Oregon wants to lock down a name opponent, that is relatively close so ticket sales are assured, but a lot can happen in seven years.

Coming from the state of Michigan it would have been unheard of seven years ago for a top recruit from anywhere choosing Michigan State over the Wolverines. But in the last seven years its happened a ton. Mainly because Michigan went from Rich Rodriguez to Brady Hoke and were a non-factor for high school recruits, mainly because seven years in college football is an eternity. 

Think about it, these kids start coming up on college coaches radar Freshman year of high school at the earliest. They will usually make a decision in their junior year. That is three years. I am sure they watched football when they were in elementary school and middle school, but other than memorable plays/games you think they can recall who was the best team in the Big Ten in 2008? They know who has been good over the last three to four years, and the big names (Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, etc.). Who knows what can and will happen in the next seven years to BYU.

Kam Returns

Kam Chancellor is back! For the record I am not a Seahawks fan by any means. However, I find myself gravitating to liking players more than liking teams these days. I am not sure if thats from 31 years of being in an abusive relationship with the Detroit Lions, or after being in the working world I sympathize with these guys a lot more than I did. If someone came along and offered me four times the money I am currently making to do the same job somewhere else, I would not have to think to hard about it, and I am not even getting my body and brain destroyed.

I like watching Kam work, the guy is a beast. Plus he makes that whole defensive backfield work. After two straight weeks I would not be surprised if it comes out that Pete Carroll gave Kam his house to come back. Aaron Rodgers is one thing, but the St Louis Rams made the Seahawks defense look weak. Do work Kam!

Rollin' Down Highway 41

(Sydney from The Gap)

I have mentioned in previous posts my long history with road trips, which will play a part in this, but this is more about travel in general. By the time I was 14 I had been to quite a few states, and into Canada a few times. Although a foreign country, Canada is very similar to the US. I like to say the only difference between southern Ontario and northern Michigan are the license plates. However, when you're younger its pretty cool to go to a place with different money and everything is posted in English and French. However, it wasn't until the summer of 1998 that I truly experienced a unique travel experience. 

When I was in middle school we had a new student one year: Yotaro Mori. He was from Japan and his father had been transferred over for work. I was lucky enough to become friends with Yotaro and we spent a lot of time golfing and showing him around Michigan. Unfortunately after one year, Yotaro and his parents moved back to Japan. The next summer, he invited myself and another friend of ours to Japan. So, at 14 I got on a flight to Tokyo and it was incredible.

Everything was different. Sure there were similar companies and I recognized the shape of signs, but the wording was completely foreign. This was so far from everything I had ever seen in my life, and I loved it. Each meal was new, each location was new, they even drove on the other side of the road. 

I will say this was all made possible because of our hosts. Yotaro and his parents took us out to a spa-resort in the region of Mt Fuji, which in itself was amazing. Mrs. Mori was a trained chef and created some amazing homemade meals, as well as took us on a bus tour of downtown Tokyo. I still remember a lot of what I did on that trip, and will carry it with me always. 

Ever since that trip though, I have always approached each trip with a want to explore. Whenever I travel I rarely schedule anything. I have places I want to see and things I want to try, but my main goal is exploring. I would rather spend a day wandering around the city finding restaurants, cafes, bars and shops on my own. If I am going to Paris I am definitely seeing the Eiffel Tower, but I am not scheduling out my day. I have enough schedules to keep track of when I am not on vacation.

Some of my best times were had just wandering around (similar to a Walkabout, but with more purpose). I found my favorite pub in Sydney and Cairns Australia that way, and some of the best places I have eaten in Vancouver and New Zealand. But travel also energizes and inspires me.  When I travel somewhere I am constantly looking at things, especially when I travel overseas.

A good example is Australia and New Zealand. A lot of what they have is familiar, whether its the exact same or very similar. However, when you look closer you realize the differences, some good, some bad. Either way, discovering the methods and thought-processes used across the globe always makes me more creative and more open to trying new approaches to my day-to-day tasks, both in my professional and personal life.  

Walkabouts

I first heard the term “walkabout” when I watched the Crocodile Dundee movies as a child. Back then, I had zero clue what it meant. All I knew is this guy with the funny accent was humorous and there was some good action. Also, Carl Winslow was in the movies so it had to be good right? Fast forward about 12 years and I was on a plane to the homeland of Mick Dundee, and it forever changed me.

One of the ongoing themes that will organically emerge in this blog is my undying love for Australia. I have been there three times (5 weeks, 15 months, and 7 months), and consider it my second home. I was enchanted by tales from my brother who had visited four years prior to my first stint, and I was immediately infatuated when I arrived. The people, the land, the attitude, and so many more things, make Australia hold a special place in my life. However, for this entry, I will focus on the namesake of Mr. Dundee's fictional hometown of “Walkabout Creek.”


From the movies I had gathered a walkabout was a long walk/journey/trip into the wilderness. Later I realized its more of a spiritual journey, to find oneself, usually after a life-altering event or if someone feels their life is stagnant or in need of a change. However, as I found out, as it is a term in Australia, when you show up as the American, they aren't too keen on you using their terms and then explaining “Nah, its cool, I picked it up watching Crocodile Dundee.”


While there I experienced my own version of a walkabout. During my 15 month stint, which was technically for grad school (at least thats what my parents believed), I lived the Macquarie University Village. It was a 200 unit apartment complex with 5-bedroom apartments, filled with students from all over the world. However, very few Australians lived there. For instance, I did my undergrad at Grand Valley State University in the western part of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Two of my neighbors in grad school were from GVSU. I was lucky enough to have a roommate named Marlow.


Now I will ignore Marlow's less than admirable traits, and focus on the fact he was, and remains, a real life Australian. He also introduced me to many more real life Australians, a lot I still speak with today, and miss dearly (ok, enough with the sappy stuff). While the apartment complex emptied during the summers, a few of us stragglers stuck around. It was myself, Marlow, Timmy, EJ and Monica most of the time, with a few stragglers. Every now and then we'd get bored and go “walkies.”

(Myself, EJ, and Marlow after a costume party, I hope)

It was usually just to find a party, or beers, or girls, or anything other than sitting around one of our apartments doing nothing. Rarely would it result in any great discovery or insane story, but they were some fun times, I can assure you.


I began to institute “walkies” when I returned from Australia, to some pretty great results. As I started to move around for work they began to take a different tone. When I got to Minnesota I used them as a way to get to know my neighborhood. I would set out (assuming it was not -35 and snowing) in a particular direction, but always keeping my bearing on home, and just wander around. If a restaurant, bar or shop looked interesting I would go in, but there was never a set agenda, or path.


These days I go on 3-4 each week. Whether its during my lunch break at work, or if I have an hour or so on the weekends, I find its the perfect opportunity to either clear my head, or when I've had to make a big decision. Before every move I have always taken a long walkabout. Its good to get away from everything and really weigh the decision, or just bask in silence every now and then. While I am not going on an 18 month walkabout like Mick, I highly recommend it every now and then if you can find the time. If you have a lot of time, maybe an 18 month long one wouldn't be bad either.

Sweet, Sweet Potatoes

I always had misconceptions about sweet potatoes. I was always under the impression that yams and sweet potatoes are the same thing. I am sure it started with Thanksgiving, where yams, heavily garnished with sugar and marshmallows, are a staple at most tables. A lot of the time, they are referred to as sweet potatoes, and I was never very fond of them. Not so much they weren't tasty, its just a member of the potatoes family slathered in sugar doesn't mesh well with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy in my experience.


In my research for healthy foods over the last few years, I kept seeing sweet potatoes pop-up. I was confused, but then realized “Well I know little to nothing about healthy eating, so why not,” so I thought I would give them another chance. I had been eating a couple of different varieties of potatoes with breakfast as it was, so why not make it healthier, or at least try?


Sweet potatoes are awesome. I eat them almost every morning now (“recipe” below) in what my coworker dubbed my “Shame Slurry.” They are a perfect substitute for Idaho, Russet or red skin potatoes. Plus, I learned the obvious, they are not as sweet as yams, and therefore mix much better with more savory ingredients and foods.


My staple breakfast is typically this:


-3/4 cup diced sweet potatoes
-diced onions
-diced green bell pepper
-broccoli
-chopped mushrooms
-3 egg whites, 1 yolk


There really is no exact amounts I follow. I dice sweet potatoes until I have roughly ¾ of a cup, and start those first in the pan, just below medium heat (4 on my stove) with some coconut oil. The sweet potatoes need the most time, so I dice the vegetables while those get a head start. Personally I get tired of mushrooms quick, but you can use most any veggies, and sometimes I will even use fresh jalapenos. Again, not much of an exact science, and I dice about a half cup of each. Once I put those in the pan (while stirring occasionally) I start the eggs. I put the 3 egg whites and 1 yolk in a glass and mix. Once the sweet potatoes and vegetables are slightly browned, I make a circle in the middle and dump the eggs in. You can add some cheese at the very end, I will add a little feta, but its not the healthiest, as well as some Frank's Red Hot sauce.



I love this breakfast and rarely get tired of it as the only two staples are sweet potatoes and the eggs. When I get sick of a certain combination, I will switch it up the next visit to the grocery store. Its also great if you use a little cheese to bond it together and put it on a toasted bagel. I have also used ground beef (lean of course) or turkey meat in addition to everything else, and it might even be more magical.  

Baseball Been Very, Very Good To Me!

(Church)

I have very few memories from before I was six years old. I remember my first plane ride, I remember my grandfather when he was still able to walk around, and I remember my first baseball game. It was Tiger Stadium, against the Kansas City Royals, and Bo Jackson was playing Center Field. It started a lifelong obsession and love, which has only gotten stronger as I have gotten older. 

I don't know if its the draw of being outside on a summer day, the statistics, the fact each stadium has its own dimensions, personality and character, or the specialization of players, but I was hooked from day one. A common misconception about sports in Michigan is U of M Football, the Detroit Lions, or the Detroit Red Wings are king (I might concede to one of those). However, the fact of the matter is when its summer, the Tigers reign supreme, plain and simple. 

In the summer a popular weekend and holiday destination is "Up North" (the boundary is different for each person, but I consider it anywhere north of Clare). At every cottage, party store (convenience store for non-Michiganders), and on every boat with a radio, the Tigers game is on. The Upper Peninsula might be Green Bay Packer territory when it comes to football, but you would be hard-pressed to find anything but Tigers fans living up there. Whether they were setting the record for most losses in a season or a heavy favorite for a World Series, the Tigers are always on. It started with Ernie Harwell, and has continued today with Dan Dickerson who has taken over the monumental task  with great success.

(Ernie statue w/ my buddy Jeff)

Although, the Tigers will forever be my favorite team, its the sport as a whole that's gotten me. I have been to a lot Timbers games since moving to Portland, and had a great time at each. However, when I learned they booted a AAA baseball team out of that stadium I was very disappointed. If I lived within walking distance of a AAA baseball team season tickets would have been a no-brainer. I can go to just about any baseball game, at any level. 

I think my love has been fueled by my ability to make it to different parks, and not just when the Tigers are in town. I have been to six major league parks, and will be hitting my seventh in about a week when I am in Cincinnati. I am also considering a weekend trip to Denver to see the Rockies at some point, and planning a Bay Area trip next year so I can see the A's and Giants back-to-back. When you get the opportunity to sit down and watch a game without any rooting interest, you really enjoy the athleticism, strategy and ability of all involved. 

I have even begun to buy apparel of other teams. For instance, I buy a hat of every team whose park I have visited, unless they are playing the Tigers of course. I also like finding rarities and jerseys that are not as prevalent anymore. I found an Atlanta Braves jersey at a thrift store in Minneapolis with a "30 Years in Atlanta" patch (picture below) for $10 and almost lost my mind, and have a Montreal Expos Gary Carter jersey next on my list of acquisitions. I also hope to catch games in Japan and South Korea one day.

(Thrift Store Steal)

I may never be able to pin point my love of baseball. I think its an amalgamation of everything I have discussed, and that first game I was able to attend with my father and brother. In fact one of my favorite games was the second Tigers game with my dad in 2005 on Father's Day, a walk-off win against the San Francisco Giants, hit by then newly acquired 2B Placido Polanco. Now I have been at a few walk-off wins since then, but I know I couldn't tell you as much detail about those. 

(Father's Day 2005)

When I was living in Australia in 2010 a few friends and I joked about getting tattoos spontaneously. The more we joked, the more we began to seriously consider it. Soon after the joking started we were looking for tattoo parlors which took walk-ins. Each person was quietly and openly brainstorming ideas. I did not have much money at the time, so I knew it had to be a simple, one-color design. One image popped into my head: the Olde English D. Up to that point I had sat through an improbable World Series run, a 119 loss season, and a decade of futility where I watched every game I could on UPN 50 when they never even sniffed a .500 record. I heard how Jeff Weaver was the next Denny MacLean, Gabe Kapler was the next Al Kaline and watched every bad move Randy Smith made (Google that one Dombrowski slappy's because I know you have no idea who that is). It remains today the only tattoo I have, not so much because I haven't wanted another one, but I haven't been able to decide on anything else I knew I would never regret.

Trippin All Over North America

(northern Nevada, I-80 East)

In November 2012 I drove from St Paul, Minnesota to Los Angeles and back...in 10 days. This was an ambitious road trip to begin with, but I never realized how ambitious until it was 7:30 p.m. on a Sunday night and I was two hours south of the Twin Cities, barely able to stay awake. I have gotten tired driving before, but nothing like this. My morning began in a Walmart parking lot, at 4 a.m. in Rock Springs, Wyoming, and 980 miles later I was almost home. Well 120 miles away from home. I will say, nothing is quite like having all four windows down, in Minnesota in early December, radio on full volume and slapping oneself.

I wouldn't have done anything differently though. I loved every second of those 10 days, whether I loved some more than others is irrelevant. I left 20 degree (F) weather and 5 days later I was putting my feet in the Pacific Ocean. I once tried to track my road trips on Google Maps, but it cut me off at 10, apparently they're not equipped to keep up with the Alexanders, because road trips are definitely a hereditary trait in my family.

My father has never been a fan of flying. Every trip we took as kids was in a van (Party Van 1, Party Van 2 as they were christened), and a lot of times did not include hotels on the way to our destinations. I know, the first question you probably have is: "Are your parents insane????" Well it was no honeymoon for my brother and I either. It was constant back and forth, but for the most part nuclear war was averted, barring one incident in Wyoming I believe it was.

I may have not enjoyed every bit of those road trips at the time, but looking back I am so happy we did it that way. I got to experience Banff and Lake Louise, Alberta, six National Parks, Daytona Beach, Disney World, Charleston, SC, and countless other places. However, some of the best memories are of the places in between home and the destinations. Places like Cadillac Ranch in Texas, I saw The Osborne Brothers play Rocky Top at the Ryman Auditorium (you know how many people are jealous of me for that? I know a lot of hillbilly's), and Custer's Last Stand to name a few. 

I would say the biggest result from these road trips (other than family bonding), was learning how not everywhere in North America was like Michigan. Now you're probably thinking "Yeah, no kidding," but a 7-13 year old doesn't understand that concept, because they've never experienced. But there me and my brother were, seeing people in Arizona who thought a Canadian quarter was counterfeit, meeting people who had never seen snow in person before, or learning what poutine is (its freaking awesome is what it is). 

I also think its a great way to get to know the History of this country and continent. Now this is not a flag-waving, glossed over version of it. When you go to Custer's Last Stand you learn the whole story, from both sides. When you visit the Grand Canyon you learn how it formed. When you visit Calgary you see the 1988 Olympic Park and learn about the athletes. This is glossing over all the local and state parks and recreation areas. 

I look back on those road trips as some of the best times of my life, and that is why I continue them today. My road trip in 2012 was amazing, I hit Denver, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles and was able to stay with friends in all three locations. Since then I have done three more, all of which I have really enjoyed, and can't wait for my next one.

Waking Up Before the Sun

After high school you couldn't pay me to get out of bed early. I became a full-fledged night owl, staying up until 3 am and sleeping in until whenever I felt like it. It was glorious. Very rarely outside of college and work did I ever need an alarm to wake up. Then the worst thing in the world happened: adulthood and responsibility.

All of a sudden I had to be up at a certain time, and it was an ungodly hour. It was also for something awful, work. Not the typical summer/part-time job I had during college, but real work, 9 to 5, 401k, and knowing what your medical benefits were. WTF?!

This lasted for what felt like an eternity. Get up early, go to work, come home, and stay up as long as possible to make up for it, then struggle to get up again. Oh and whether I partied or not, the weekend was for catching up on sleep. So even when I did fall out of bed, the day was half over. I turned to the internet in hopes of an answer, and after falling down a couple dozen YouTube rabbit-holes, I found some.

Like most people I had a LinkedIn account, and like most people for the longest time I never used it. No profile picture, barely any info and definitely did not check it regularly. However, I got a tip from a coworker that LinkedIn was good for prospecting and finding sales leads, so I jumped on the bandwagon. While it did help with prospecting and finding leads, it had a lot of useful articles and blogs people shared.

I found a lot of the list-based posts had some good advice in there. While every list wasn't life-altering, and some were even complete busts, there was a high success rate that at least one to two points were something I hadn't considered or was completely new. This led me to a life-changing decision.

I can't recall the first time I saw it, but when you look at enough of one subject, you begin to see patterns and commonalities. This was one of them. Whether it appeared under "10 Tips For Improving Productivity," or "The Top 7 Things Successful People Do," one commonalty was always: "Wake up early."

At first this did not appeal to me...at all. But the more I saw it come up, the more I began to think about trying it. What really drew me toward trying it started when I began to work longer hours, and it felt like that was all I did. So, what could the harm be in trying it?

At first, I just began to get up early to watch some TV, mess around online, read or make a real breakfast. It sucked at first. I was a zombie, trudging through my apartment, running into the little furniture I did have. Like anything the more I did it, the easier it got, and the more I actually enjoyed it. My morning morphed from making breakfast, to doing laundry, running errands, and eventually working out.

This plague of productivity spread from the weekday to the weekends, especially once I got to Portland. With so many opportunities for weekend activities, it was a no-brainer. If I wanted to hit the coast for the day, I was up and on the road by 5 am. If I was going to Seattle, I was through Vancouver, WA by 5:30 am. If I wanted to hike around Mt. Hood, I was bringing breakfast with me, because no place was open yet. It was a a good plan, because I get shots like this regularly:

I would get to the trail-head hours before most people were even thinking of waking up. No looking for parking, or contending with someone's unleashed dog for space on the trail. I had done six miles and was packing up my car when everyone else in their matching hiking attire was showing up. This was better than not setting an alarm. I get to Manzanita just as the sun is peaking over the mountains, and am back in Portland before dinner. 

There's been some adjustment, and it most definitely is not something that happens everyday on the weekend. With all the great bars, people and Timbers games, I definitely take mornings off. Many Saturdays I find that I can get laundry, dishes, grocery shopping, and a trip to the gym done before 9 am when I don't have a trip planned. And there is always the promise of a glorious midday nap.

A big piece of the puzzle which none of the articles mentioned, was the resource of time. They mentioned it in the course of mapping out your startup, or working on projects with colleagues overseas, but not in terms of it as a general commodity. Time is our most precious resource, its nonrenewable and every second that passes we have no possibility of getting it back. So why would I want to waste hours of my life, while I am healthy and able to do so much, by laying in a bed?

I have never once regretted waking up early. Even if my scheduled plans don't pan out the way I wanted, which has occurred a lot, I am still able to accomplish so much more. Conversely, I can't even remember how many times my days were wasted/ruined by sleeping in. I didn't start the next Amazon or Microsoft like some of those articles suggested, but I definitely have not regretted it one bit.

Lines, Everywhere I Look

I recognize I live in one of, if not the fastest growing city in the US. Portland is about ready to burst. Since I moved here (yes, I realize I am a hypocrite) 18 months ago, eight new apartment buildings have gone up or are being built within a 12 block radius of my apartment. This of course brings some issues when trying to get around the city, especially this one. Portland is not a huge place, and the way the highways are built, there is no room for adding lanes, so traffic is a constant. But that also means there are lines, almost everywhere thats worth going.

I don't mind waiting in lines, when its unavoidable. Airports suck and a big part of that is waiting in lines. Its bad enough waiting in the security line, but if you have to check a bag, it just compounds what a mess the airport already is. However, I don't want to drive to Michigan to see my niece and nephew, so its necessary. But waiting in line 30 minutes to east some tacos? Thats just stupid.

Every time I have read or heard about a new restaurant, food cart or any place that is the new hot spot for food in this city, there is always a line. Its a fact of life in this city. However, I still refuse to wait in line for food, its absurd to me. Its also a colossal waste of time, and to me a symptom of what society has become: instant gratification above all else.

A perfect example is Pine State Biscuits. I heard for months I had to eat there. Everything is made from scratch and the sandwiches are awesome. They have three locations around town, so I figured maybe a quick wait if anything. My first attempt was about 8:30 am on a Saturday, so you have to assume you are going to have the weekend crowd, even though Portland likes to sleep in. I get to one location and the line is halfway down the block. Are you kidding me? Who has that time to lose?

Now this is definitely not an attack on Pine State. I love the way they handle customers: you cannot claim a spot at the counter or a table until you have ordered. Genius move right there, and obviously their food is awesome, or they wouldn't have a line. But I am not spending 45 minutes to get food on a weekend, one of my two free days of the week its insane. I am an hour and a half from the Pacific Ocean and just over an hour from Mt Hood. Maybe if I was still living in Ohio I would because there is nothing else to do there, but I am in Oregon for Lemmy's sake!

The real crime here is when you wait and the food is less than great. I won't name any places like that in Portland, because as I rail on the people who have time to wait in line, they are also the ones that have time to scour the internet looking to delve out what they think is justice. A friend of mine named one place and they went off on him, even telling him they wished the cancer he was fighting would win...OVER A FREAKING RESTAURANT REVIEW. But, I digress. When that situation occurs it amplifies the food, but it also makes average food worse.

People wait in line for 45 minutes, and if the food is not amazing, people get pissed off. The funny part is, its not the restaurant's fault, its yours. I am sure they are flattered that people are willing to wait for their food, its a sign they are doing something right. But if you're pissed at them, my guess is you've never taken responsibility for something in your life. No one coerced you to wait in line. There was no monetary bonus, or even a life or death situation, you choose it. So if you get to the front and the food wasn't to your expectations, why is it anyone else's fault? Barring poor quality ingredients or an errant bandaid its on you.

Don't get me wrong, I have experienced the same thing, and it left me frustrated, but frustrated at myself. Its kind of absurd to wait in line for a great food spot in Portland when there are literally hundreds of choices. There are a few places I have waited and was not disappointed even in the slightest when I got my food, but I also wasted a good amount of time doing it. This is just one of the things that makes me feel like Old Man Marshall yelling at kids to get off his lawn, but I hope I am not alone on this one.

Also, I changed my morning routine on Saturday and hit Pine State Biscuits right as it opened, and its ree-got-damn-diculous. One of my favorite spots in this city and now once a month I make my way to either the Alberta or Schuyler location, and there still is a line, albeit much shorter.

A Very Michigan Camping Trip

First off, every entry will not be centered around my trips to National Parks. However, these are the easiest for right now as I have a lot of pictures and they are fresh in my mind. My goal with this blog is to cover a wide variety of topics from food to sports to travel to whatever I feel like.

For Memorial Day Weekend 2015, I was able to do a camping trip with some friends from Michigan. There were five of us in total, but only one still lives in Michigan, with two coming from Portland and two from Sioux Falls, SD. Such is the modern day working professional I guess, go where you can find the best jobs!

I had heard good things from coworkers about Olympic. One coworker even lived in the region for a long time and would visit the park on a weekly basis, so we had some great local knowledge to help us out. While we had limited time, the overall experience was great. We started at Hurricane Ridge, which provided some amazing views in the heart of the park. We even got to experience a storm rolling across the horizon on our hike, and honestly, if we went to Olympic and didn't get rained on it would have been a disappointment.

(Hurricane Ridge)

We moved campsites every night, which was not ideal, but the campsites could not be secured in advance, so everyday we had our target campsite and then a few fall-back options. In the future, I am definitely finding a good spot and staying put, but I will admit we got a great feel for the entire park.

The second day we hit a trail near the Sol Duc Hotsprings, when we hiked up to Deer Lake. The hike wasn't long, but the vertical climb was a butt-kicker. It made its all the more satisfying when we made it to the top. We also hit some smaller trails in the area, one followed a river bed and was near an old dam, which had been removed.

(Elwha River)

After that trail we headed toward the coast to hike at Ruby Beach and camped at South Beach Campground. Our goal was Kalaloch Campground, which sits higher up from the water and provides some amazing views, but was full. South Beach was a lot better in my opinion. Its a smaller campground but that meant less people to deal with, so it felt more like camping. It was also easier to get to the beach, and no matter where your site was, you could see the Pacific.

(Ruby Beach)

On the last day we hit the Hoh Rainforest on the southwest side of the park. The hike we did was mainly wooded and flat, but it fed into a lot of other trails. Apparently it was a good place to spot elk, however, we were unlucky the day we were there. 

(Hoh Rainforest)

All in all I enjoyed Olympic a lot. The rangers and staff were very helpful and the facilities were well maintained. There were small towns just outside the park, which made it nice for getting supplies and even hitting a restaurant every now and then. It was not very crowded either, which always makes for a nice time since you're not fighting with too many people for space on the trail or in the campgrounds. However, when I return it will either be to do a hiking/camping trip through the park, or, as previously stated, set up camp in one spot and go on day hikes. I highly recommend the park, and while its not in the most accessible place, Its close to Seattle and you can rent gear from REI if you aren't fortunate enough to drive.

To Yosemite and Back!

*HAVING ISSUES POSTING PICS*

I will get into road trips and my long history of both hating and loving them in a future post, but just to set the table: I have been on a lot of them, and will always support them as a way to make a trip more enjoyable.

My latest road trip was from Portland, Oregon to Yosemite National Park in California in roughly 4.5 days. Normally I would avoid a trip like this because with a round trip of 1,448 miles, 4.5 days is not enough to drive and enjoy the park. However, the goal of this trip was not to camp and hike Yosemite, but my friend Burton's wedding. I was a little skeptical at first but the wedding was great and I was very honored to be a part of the celebration.

I left Portland after work on a Wednesday night with the plan of reaching Redding, California, 422 miles away. While Redding is a decent size town, with plenty of overnight options, my motivation to make this destination my first stop was the fact they had the closest In-And-Out Burger to Oregon. While I got into town later than I normally eat dinner (around 10:45 pm), its In-And-Out, so I pigged out like any rational person would. My typical order of a Double-Double, Animal-style fries, and Neopolitan shake, sat like a cinder block in my stomach, but was so very worth it.

(Lens Flare JJ Abrams style!)

After gorging myself, I quickly set out to find a place to spend the night. Now, as you will find out in future posts, I am ridiculously cheap. Almost to my detriment, but I try to keep my cheapness to a rational level. However, as time for this trip was limited, and I still had 300 miles until Yosemite, this stop was not going to be a long one by any means. With a few solo and two-person road trips under my belt, I was aware that Wal-Mart allows people to camp/sleep in their parking lots, so after finding one I settled into a space that was better fitted for someone half my size. After what can be best described as a long nap I was back on the road, and was able to get into Yosemite around 10 am.

I had only driven through California once before, back in 2012, and had a great experience. This particular time wasn't bad, however, you can see the drought is taking its toll on the land. Everything in the park looked burned or was dying from a lack of water, and it was extremely dusty. A few lakes I passed seemed to be about a year away from being 100% dry.

With the limited time I was only able to get in 1-2 hikes, as Saturday was dedicated to the wedding, and Sunday to driving back. I was able to fight the crowds on Friday morning and hit the Mist Trail that leads up to Half Dome. The incline was incredible, and even though I had done Dog Mountain (Washington) the week before, it was still an arse-kicker. Although the weather was insane (100 back-to-back days), it made for some amazing views.

Sunday's drive back was surprisingly easy. I left later than expected, but was home and had the car unpacked by 7 pm. I only made two stops, Redding to gorge myself again and refuel, and another refuel around Eugene, OR, and the most traffic I hit was around 75 miles south of Portland. Although it was a quick trip, it was a lot of fun and I was honored to be a part of my friend's special day. As for Yosemite itself, it was a great setting for a wedding, but I'm wasn't that impressed with it.

I, jokingly, refer to myself as spoiled when it comes to National Parks as I have been to a decent amount thus far. As great as the views and trails were, I much more enjoyed the new friends I met and the old friends I reconnected with. The park itself was very crowded and their ability to gouge visitors on price was second to none (ex. gas $4.69/gallon). For example, I spent five days in Olympic National Park (future post) on Memorial Day and much preferred the trails, views and overall outdoor experience.


*This is my first post, so please be kind if you choose to comment. Hoping to clear more time in the future so I can enter posts in one sitting rather than writing one over the course of two days. Thanks for reading.